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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                   [CARAUSTAR INDUSTRIES, INC. LETTERHEAD]
                                                                

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 1997

                        Contact:  H. Lee Thrash, III
                                  Chief Financial Officer
                                  (770) 948-3101



                      CARAUSTAR INDUSTRIES, INC. ANNOUNCES
                      POSSIBLE OFFER FOR BRITTON GROUP PLC

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Board of Directors of Caraustar Industries, Inc.
(NASDAQ:CSAR) today announced that it is considering the possibility of making
a cash offer at around L.1.20($1.95) per ordinary share, or a total equity
value of approximately $270 million, for United Kingdom-based, Britton Group
plc (LN:BGP). Caraustar has approached the management of Britton with a view to
seeking a recommendation from the Board of Britton. No decision has yet been
made as to whether or not to proceed with an offer and a further announcement
will be made in due course.

Britton Group plc, a packaging company, operates six folding carton facilities
in the United States through its subsidiary, Universal Packaging Corp. (UPC),
headquartered in Bow, New Hampshire, and produces plastic extruded film
products through several subsidiary companies in the United Kingdom. Britton
Group plc had revenues of $361 million in 1996.

Thomas V. Brown, president and chief executive officer of Caraustar, said, "We
have followed the progress of Britton with interest for some time, noting in
particular that the markets in which its U.S. subsidiary, UPC, operates are
getting increasingly difficult as the pace of integration and consolidation of
competitors, suppliers and customers continues to increase.

We are keen to enter into discussions with the management of Britton and, in
the circumstances, we believe that our proposals will be attractive.

In addition, we wish to avoid a protracted process which would be unnecessarily
expensive in time and money for both Britton and Caraustar shareholders.  Our
Board's consideration of an offer for Britton at a full price reflects this."

Caraustar's 14 recycled paperboard mills and its 25 recycling and waste
collection facilities make the company one of the largest and lowest-cost
producers of recycled paperboard in the United States.  At its 54 converting
facilities, the company manufactures a wide variety of paper tubes and cores,
composite containers, folding cartons, plastic products, adhesives, and
industrial and consumer packaging.



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